of Quebec City and altered the balance of power of an entire continent. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham lasted less than one half hour. By the time the rain had washed away the blood, Quebec had surrendered to the British. Four years later, the Treaty of Paris gave England sole dominion over most of the land that Quebec City had governed, from Cape Breton Island in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Mississippi River. "Measured by the numbers engaged, the Battle of Quebec was but a heavy skirmish," wrote historian Francis Parkman. "Measured by results, it was one of the great battles of the world."
             The battle that changed the political boundaries of North America has left faint physical traces on today's Quebec City, but the city's French heritage is everywhere evident. Signs are predominantly French, and nearly 95% of the population speaks that language.
             The end of 1757 marked a series of disappointments and reverses for the British Empire, which had the possibility of defeat. British public opinion was completely des
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